You Will Die: The Burden of Modern Taboos [Paperback]

Robert R. Arthur (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 25, 2008

Taboos are a burden on society. By protecting irrational views they hinder progress towards greater happiness.
The government and the media use taboos to lie and mislead. It is not a conspiracy, but by pushing panic for votes and viewers they thwart Americans' pursuit of happiness. Taboos are not relics of primitive societies.
FACTS YOU WON'T HEAR ON THE NEWS: * There are gay animals and a gay gene has been discovered in insects. * It is highly likely an American president was gay. * Shielding kids from visual exposure to sex is linked to their later sexual aggression. Porn is not. * Celibacy is linked to health problems. * Prostitution can raise women's self-esteem. * Heterosexuals were never in much risk from AIDS. * Jesus Christ denounced lying not pre-marital sex, contraception, abortion, or drug use. * Adolescents who experiment with drugs are better adjusted than their peers. * Marijuana users are happier overall than non-users. * Wild animals enjoy getting high in nature. * America's gardens contain easily accessible morphine and hallucinogens. * Caffeine is as addictive as cocaine. Nicotine is more addictive than heroin. LSD addiction is impossible. * Legalized heroin would be less harmful than alcohol. * If you tried crack or heroin it is highly unlikely you would ever become addicted. * One of the 20th century's greatest scientific discoveries was drug induced, as was one of the 19th century's greatest paintings. * Brazil, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Russia, and Spain have already decriminalized personal possession for all drugs. * In America, people serve longer prison sentences for drug charges than for rape or manslaughter. * America's global drug war made 9/11 possible.
You Will Die contains over 150 original illustrations and over 2,000 footnotes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Given a decent promotional campaign, this book has what it takes to top The New York Times bestseller list for months .... This book about taboos is itself taboo; no major American publisher would touch it with a ten-foot pole."  --Robert Gover, Perigee: Publication for the Arts, Issue 20, April 15 - July 15 2008.

This is a sensational book, and I mean that in the widest sense of the word "sensational." It's explosive and amazingly informative. You will not be able to read this book without being amazed--amazed at the hypocrisy of human beings, amazed at the history of human hypocrisy and corruption, amazed at the corruption currently extant in this once great nation, and amazed at the lies you have been, and are being told, by just about everybody in any position of power or influence. This is a book that combines the racy readability of the tabloid style with the rigorous research and documentation of a PhD dissertation.
--Amazon.com Review, Dennis Littrell, refers to 2nd edition.

About the Author

Robert Arthur is a former inner-city teacher and public defender. His book, You Will Die: The Burden of Modern Taboos, won the 2008 Montaigne Medal for most thought-provoking independent book. He defends consensual adult activities at his blog, Narco Polo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 508 pages
• Publisher: Suburra Publishing; 3rd edition (December 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979755425
• ISBN-13: 978-0979755422
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #426,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will make you think - and that's a good thing! December 29, 2008

By Mark S. Benn

Format:Paperback

Robert Arthur has written a provocative book that is entertaining, interesting and controversial. His writing style makes this book a fast read, but the content will slow you down as Mr. Arthur weaves historical information and personal opinions in a manner that kept me turning page after page.

This book is not "easy" as it forces the reader to explore her/his own views about many things, from religion, death, and sex, to your personal beliefs about humankind. As a psychologist - it forced me to look at people differently and had me thinking about who and how we (people) are - and how on earth did we got to be "this way?"

The book is filled with footnotes to document where Mr. Arthur got his information and as a university professor, this was essential to me as I sought confirmation for his facts. He stretches the reader to examine what we (as a society) have come to "take as fact" and "take for granted" about everyday life.

My favorite aspect of this book is that it 'makes the implicit - explicit!' He tackles many of our current taboos: sex, drugs, homosexuality, death, religion - it's all in here. This book is a MUST READ! I loved it. If you're looking for something to talk about - get your hands on this book - you won't be disappointed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for humans. February 2, 2009

By Paul Lewis

Format:Paperback

If you're not the type that tends to urinate, defecate, pass gas, pick your nose, or get horny on a near daily basis, then this book just isn't for you. If you are that type, then "You Will Die" deserves your consideration.
"You Will Die" is a cleanly written and well-sourced text. The author, in his forward, grants the reader with the liberty of leafing through for topics of particular interest as opposed to reading the book cover to cover. This is the manner in which I read the book.
With its illustrations, tables, diagrams, and related asides, it was hard not to flip through without stopping on pages like p.256 and wonder what written material accompanies an illustration of four vagina types.
Arthur's illustrations evoke a sense of Gary Larson's "The Far Side", but instead of a disproportionate amount of bovine humor, Arthur depicts things like prostitutes and smoking crack. They are amusing, straightforward, unapologetically dark, and unpretentious in their actual artistic value.
The chapters of the book cover a variety of taboo ideas in our society from boogies and farts to heroine and homosexuality. The taboos are placed in a historical context so that you can discover how the taboo developed and bring it all the way to the present time with its existence and influence today. What you can expect to find is a long line of hypocrisy rooted in social hierarchy and government control.
Reading "You Will Die" is a therapeutic event. It is a look into being human and how so many of us are willing to part with our natural human desires in the face of social pressures. It rightfully attacks the labels that are stamped on non-conformists and it sheds light on the assault upon our freedoms and our pursuits of happiness.
I have and would recommend this book to anyone.... As stated before, if you pee, poop, fart, pick your nose, or masturbate, you will undoubtedly find value in this book. After getting through those initial chapters, you will probably be willing to go forward to the illegal drugs chapters whether you enjoy drugs or not. The factual information is fascinating regardless of your appetite for intoxication.
For an in-depth preview of the book, visit the publisher's website @ [...]. Here you will find the author's blog and a discounted price for the book. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Congress Should Be Ashamed March 2, 2009

By The Spinozanator VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

What an incredible book - the best book I've read so far this year. It is divided into four "taboos." The first two are interesting and short, but inconsequential. The last two could each be stand alone books: 1. pages 87-310 - A history and commentary of how governments and religious authorities have tried to control (by squelching) human sexuality from the beginning of Christianity through present day United States (summary 306-310). 2. pages 311-486 - A history and commentary about how drugs became criminalized in the United States and the disgraceful fiasco that has resulted (summary 483-486). In both situations the author is heavily critical of the misinformation and dishonesty used by governmental and religious authorities to curtail life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Because of our drug laws, we imprison a larger percentage of our population than any other country, spending untold tax dollars supporting this monstrosity. We threaten other countries with loss of foreign aid if they decriminalize their drug laws. This situation has created a worldwide cartel-run drug industry that funds terrorism. Meanwhile, countries that have quietly decriminalized personal possession of all drugs are seeing a decrease in usage, not an increase - Brazil, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Russia, and Spain, among others. To maintain the status quo, the US government conducts a massive campaign of disinformation and fearmongering. The author says, "Before America's drug war was launched [1915], drugs were not widely demonized. Their habit-forming potential was recognized but addicts were viewed as pitiful, not as dangerous." Instead, now people in the US are given longer sentences for non-violent drug charges than for rape or manslaughter....

The author makes assertions that you might find odd because they are opposite from what is commonly thought. For example, "prostitution can raise a woman's self-esteem" or "If you tried crack or heroin, it's highly unlikely you would ever become addicted." The good thing is that virtually every such statement is referenced to a source in a footnote on that very page. This relentless documentation of sources and the author's methodical approach gives his presentation credence. You may not agree with every one of his conclusions or trust all his sources but you will definitely know where he got it - and in the process you will undergo some mind-expansion.

I read a book a few years ago that tuned me in to how out-of-control law enforcement is when it comes to drugs - "Busted - Drug War Survival Skills" by Fabricant. Neither author is advocating drug use, but when your kid gets busted it is a rude awakening. What could look nicer on a cop's resume for that promotion he's been wanting than a nice easy drug bust on your teen-ager. So what if the kid wasn't really involved - he was at the party. Former LA police Chief Daryl Gates said, "The casual drug user ought to be taken out and shot."

"You will die" is an eye-opening adventure and gets my best rating.

DB Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book Ever April 17, 2009

By Robert V. Worrall

Format:Paperback

Finally someone who thinks like I do. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A good effort April 7, 2009

By BeingQuaBeing

Format:Paperback

Let me begin by saying that this book was incredibly informative and engaging. Let me also say that I agree with most of the criticisms raised in the 1-star review above. That said, because I recognize the inherent limitations in the production of the book, and I agree with the agenda of the book overall, I don't think a 1-star rating is fair.

So what inherent limitations am I referring to? For one, it's evident that the author had no editor. The book is riddled with all sorts of typographical errors, facts and statistics are repeated, the organization is a bit sloppy and arbitrary, and the focus of the book shifts as it progresses. What starts off as an exploration of taboos from a historical perspective becomes a vitriolic condemnation of United States political policy. It shifts from a comprehensive anthropological survey to a narrow, libertarian political agenda. The book has numerous chapters on drugs and sex, but they are all over the place in their content, and it's not clear how their content warrant entire new chapters.

Bluntly, the book suffers from poor writing, and I'm extremely surprised that people have written reviews that suggest otherwise. Stylistically it is sloppy, and the author misuses words left and right. Again, I think that had Arthur had an editor, these issues may not have arisen. But as the son of an academic, and as someone who will be attending an ivy league graduate school this fall, it is fair to say that the quality of writing is second-rate.

The book is filled with sophomoric causal assertions. Some of the accounts of history would make a historian cringe, because they are grossly oversimplified.... I don't have the patience to cite all of the examples, but as a former student of philosophy, I was taken aback by how Arthur claims that sexual puritanism can largely be attributed to Plato. I don't think any philosopher would agree with this. Even those who know nothing about philosophy (and therefore wouldn't know that his presentation of Plato is false) should be able to notice that there's a slippery slope in his reasoning process.

The title is misleading, as Arthur doesn't diligently explore modern taboos and the psychological or sociological effects of taboos in general. Instead, it is about a specific subset of issues that are of particular interest to Robert R. Arthur and tie in very well to a political libertarian agenda. A book of modern taboos written by an academic would be way more comprehensive and global in character, and it wouldn't include so much opinion and bias. It's okay to pick a side and defend it, but the personal perspectives do a violence to the flow of the book, especially when Arthur starts talking about drugs.

I feel somewhat uneasy writing a review like this, because I agree with Arthur's motives, and I respect the fact that he wrote this all alone. I especially like how candid he is in some of the chapter introductions. But while this book has exposed me to fascinating content, it is by no means worthy of 4 or 5 stars. Read more ›